Attacks on Catholic faith

  • Thread starter Thread starter eeurogirly
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
E

eeurogirly

Guest
I am really interested in other Catholic believers’ experiences and how they delt with them.I just had to go an a trip with 3 work collegues for 3 days and I experienced attacks on my catholic faith,that I can’t forget.

The conversation in the hours and hours spent traveling in the car went from vulgar pornography talk, to making fun of priests,bringing up the priest scandals,etc…
I ususally keep quiet,but when they said that what they didn’t like about the catholic church was that they never read out of the bible,I had to tell them that that was untrue. But 2 people teamed up and said that the Catholic Churches they had been too,didn’t.
The next day I was told that catholics are just like lutherans,with the meaningless repetition-I also spoke up telling them that out liturgy was very meaningful,but that they didn’t understand.They proceeded to talk about the pope as being part of the Jesuit “sect”,and that there is no God,because science proofs it.This was dinner conversation.On the next day,in the car,a Jesus song comes on,and the collegues start yelling:“JESUS,YOU’RE MY FRIEND”,loud,screaming with laugther,with me sitting right there.
This was so very difficult for me-I never speak up,and I don’t understand how people that pretend to like me can do this.
They are usually nice to me.I never start religious conversations,never try to convert,but I fail to understand why people do this,and I take it to heart.I am not a great apologist-when I get attacked,I get very angry,but I don’t have much to say,besides that I DO BELIEVE.It’s in my heart.
I feel harrassed,but reporting it would make things worse.I usually pray when it happens-speaking up also seems to make things worse.
I wonder how to go back to work and deal with this.Any advice?I grew up in a country where ,most people were catholics and have never faced such harsh crtiticism.
 
40.png
eeurogirly:
I am really interested in other Catholic believers’ experiences and how they delt with them.I just had to go an a trip with 3 work collegues for 3 days and I experienced attacks on my catholic faith,that I can’t forget.

The conversation in the hours and hours spent traveling in the car went from vulgar pornography talk, to making fun of priests,bringing up the priest scandals,etc…
I ususally keep quiet,but when they said that what they didn’t like about the catholic church was that they never read out of the bible,I had to tell them that that was untrue. But 2 people teamed up and said that the Catholic Churches they had been too,didn’t.
The next day I was told that catholics are just like lutherans,with the meaningless repetition-I also spoke up telling them that out liturgy was very meaningful,but that they didn’t understand.They proceeded to talk about the pope as being part of the Jesuit “sect”,and that there is no God,because science proofs it.This was dinner conversation.On the next day,in the car,a Jesus song comes on,and the collegues start yelling:“JESUS,YOU’RE MY FRIEND”,loud,screaming with laugther,with me sitting right there.
This was so very difficult for me-I never speak up,and I don’t understand how people that pretend to like me can do this.
They are usually nice to me.I never start religious conversations,never try to convert,but I fail to understand why people do this,and I take it to heart.I am not a great apologist-when I get attacked,I get very angry,but I don’t have much to say,besides that I DO BELIEVE.It’s in my heart.
I feel harrassed,but reporting it would make things worse.I usually pray when it happens-speaking up also seems to make things worse.
I wonder how to go back to work and deal with this.Any advice?I grew up in a country where ,most people were catholics and have never faced such harsh crtiticism.
Click to expand...
 
if you are skittish about harsh critisim… leave these forums immediately…

as for a suggestion concerning your situation… read, and read profusely everything you can get your hands on concerning the Catholic church… Talk to your spiritual advisor (priest) or someone with an education about the catholic faith… you are a soldier for Christ and his church, you should be prepared as you can be to at least know where to find the answer if you cannot provide the answer at that time… study, study, study…

but, lord, lord, lord… don’t give much creedence to what you read in these forums… and that includes advice from me… 😃
 
Lot’s of advice. First, you didn’t really say how well you are versed in your faith. If you’re like a great many, not very well. Take this as your wake up call. Write down all of the “attacks” you heard and research them, usually there is a thread of truth which is distorted to attack. Find out, and, don’t be concerned or worried you’ll find them true. If you find truth in their attack, you haven’t researched enough, or are using prejudiced research sources. Where you find your “evidence” is very important, I suggest using as neutral a resource as you can find, by that I mean not written by an “anti-Catholic” nor by a crusading Catholic. Get into Scripture, early Church Fathers, every thing you can find. Learn about your Church. The more you learn the closer you’ll come to the Catholic Church.
We are all led by a spirit, the Catholic Church is led by the Holy Spirit, the spirit of Satan uses distortion, deception and outright lies to dissuade people. When you see people trying to draw you away from the Catholic Church, you’re seeing Satan at work.
Get and read Karl Keating’s book, Catholicism and Fundamentalism. It’s a great place to start. Pray for your “friends” and thank them for awakening your Catholic faith.
 
If you want to stop it, make a complaint to the Fair Practices or Personnel Office of your company saying that it is discrimanation and creates a hostile work environment and though you do not expect others to agree with you, you would prefer not to hear your faith maligned and yourself harrassed. And make it clear that you did not initiate the conversations. If this is a company of any size they will take it seriously and the problem should stop. They do not want to face a lawsuit. There are laws agains this kind of behavior and you do not have to tolerate it. But you have to have the courage to do something about it. Do you believe if you were an African American and they were talking this way about your race that it would be tolerated for one minute? The same law applies to decrimation for “race, creed, color or national origin.”
 
Hey eeurogirly,

I can relate…I have a hard time dealing with people who cut up the faith. I used to get so upset, that i would become speechless, and then become even more upset that i didn’t know what to say!
I finally started reading more about the faith, all the while thinking it would improve my knowledge, but not my speaking skills. My fiance and I now have an agreement to read the catechism and bible everyday, and i also have been reading info about the faith on my own via books,etc. and let me tell you…i can feel the grace that comes from learning about God and our Church. despite my shyness, i find myself responding more and more to people who make antiCatholic comments. What I’m really happy about is that I can answer questions my friends ask me who have drifted from the faith. So, I encourage you to read more and learn more about the faith, and next time you are confronted by these kinds of comments, say a little prayer and let the Holy Spirit give you a hand. I’d recommend setting a goal of reading so many pages a day of a book, etc. so that you don’t get lazy with your learning. Consider getting Apologetics books. they look at issues and questions Catholics are often asked about, and provide answers.
Our Faith is something we are blessed to experience, and it is important for Catholic bashers to realize it isn’t something wishy washy, but rather, something rich in reason.
 
you really should think twice about not reporting this to your boss. What your colleagues did was highly unprofessional - they need to be told this.
 
In the US, what these people did on was illegal. In the workplace (and work trips count as workplace), this is the same as sexual or racial harrasment. Call the HR department, go up the chain of command, or contact the Labor board.

You will be saving others from this same abuse!
 
I think the problem sometimes can be that the answers we have as Catholics are not simple one liners. They are in depth questions that require attention and an open mind.
 
They sound like children who had an opportunity to gang up on someone. If you feel comfortable sharing your feelings with them directly one on one, I would, otherwise, I would lodge a formal complaint with your HR department.
 
Eeurogirly~

I’m sorry–your co-workers sound like immature snots. I don’t know what country you live in, or what line of work you are in, but my initial reaction was, “Hmm, if I were the boss of Eeurogirly’s company, I would certainly want to know that this is the kind of behavior my employees engage in.” Sounds like they need some sensitivity training, or “professional boundaries” type workshop. Not that I think it will change them; but that is how I would approach it with my boss/supervisor. Report it as something that ultimately reflects poorly on & embarasses the company & its clients, not just something that offends one sensitive lone Catholic.

Then, in the meantime, I would do as Tom suggested in post #3 & study up! You may get another chance to defend your faith with these people, or you may not. Either way, armed with the Truth, you will be “prepared to give an explanation for your hope!”

*1 *Peter 3:15:
But even if you should suffer because of righteousness, blessed are you. Do not be afraid or terrified with fear of them, 15 but sanctify Christ as Lord in your hearts. **Always be ready to give an explanation to anyone who asks you for a reason for your hope, **16 but do it with gentleness and reverence, keeping your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who defame your good conduct in Christ may themselves be put to shame. 17 For it is better to suffer for doing good, if that be the will of God, than for doing evil. "

As someone who’s been in a similiar situation, I would also highly recommend spending time in prayer, by name, for each one of these co-workers. Imagine the power of a daily decade of the Rosary said specifically for each person!

Good luck & God bless~

StephanieC
 
if you are skittish about harsh critisim… leave these forums immediately…
Click to expand...
Or… as I’m fond of saying… “If you can’t stand the heat, stay in the kitchen!”😃

Heh, sometimes I think God didn’t give me the eloquence to argue with these twits, but He gave me two fists to shut 'em up! But sometimes that isn’t prudent either.

Soooo, pray.

And sometimes, just start asking questions. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you, then start asking questions. Sooner or later the inconsistencies in their views become evident. Then they’ll turn on each other.
 
You don’t say what kind of company or business you work for. But you might get some insight into what is tolerable in the U.S. by reading something that I just found recently. Apparently, in 1997, Pres. Clinton issued “Guidelines on Religious Exercise and Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace” which deals specifically with what is acceptable in federal government offices. The bottom line is that religious discussion and even proselytizing is tolerated and protected speech (with certain restrictions and cautions–for example, when it is a supervisor).

But when an employee asks someone to stop, the person must stop. “But employees must refrain from such expression when a fellow employee asks that it stop or otherwise demonstrates that is unwelcome.” So I would advise you that the first thing you should do is to politely and firmly state that you object to the line of discussion and request that the offenders refrain from that topic. It sounds like you need to do that in order to pursue other recourses. Here is the citation to these guidelines:

hr.tamu.edu/relations/religious_guidelines.htm
 
I would report this to your boss or bosses. I would also look for another job, or a move to another department if possible. I do not think you should even try to engage them in conversation about your faith other than to tell them that they have offended you (but of course they know this already which is the reason that they do it). They do not sound like people that are willing to have a serious discussion to begin with. They are not interested in truth, they only want to tear you down, and there really is no good defense for that, except to leave. But most importantly, pray for them! 🙂

One last thing, remember that any persecution that you suffer as a result of your faith is really just an opportunity for you to add to the treasure that is waiting for you in heaven.
 
This is what I was told 45 years ago when I asked my Catholic school teaching nuns (Dominicans of San Jose) to make the other kids stop beinging cruel to me because I was fat:

“Offer it up for the poor souls in purgatory”.

I was expected to do that at the age of 7. Since you’re an adult, maybe you can do it too.
 
Dear friend

‘Blessed are you when men revile you and speak all manner of evil against you falsely because of me. Be glad and light-hearted for a rich reward awaits you in heaven’

I have, like you and at some time, most Catholics and other Christians, but mostly Catholics, experience this kind of ridicule, abuse and hatred. You don’t have to tolerate it at work if it persists you can report it to your boss or equal opportunity officer and the people who repeatedly carry out these attacks will be reprimanded and forbidden to repeat them, if they do so it is then a fire-able offence.

Make a note of this incident in detail (names and who said what) with time and dates, keep a diary of any other comments made directly (names and who said what) to YOU and time and date it, put names of witnesses if there are any, then if it does progress into three or four incidents of abuse towards you on grounds of belief/faith, seek legal advice or union representation and speak with your boss etc as outlined above do all of this with a happy heart as in the quote above, carry it with a happy heart. Don’t worry if there is a time delay between the first attack on you and a subsequent one as these colleagues of yours may hold in what they think actually in the workplace and then when another ‘car trip’ occurs, they may resume the same treatment of you unaware that even at a staff party if a colleague is offensive this is still counted within the perameters of work under Civil Law!!! So now, don’t worry and start to keep a record just incase.

What makes you sad is not the fact that it hurts you alone, it is also hurtful to our Lord Jesus who’s heart is more sensitive than any of ours. But the Lord said, it’s not you they hate, remember no-one is greater than the Master and what the Master was treated with, we also can expect the same treatment.

Pray for these people because they do not know what they are doing nor what they are saying, they are ignorant of the gravity of their actions and of the eternal consequences of them and forgive them because they do not know what they are doing.

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
cont…

Dear friend

You cannot persuade somone to your faith, you cannot make them love Jesus, that is a gift from God and it is up to them to embrace that. Therefore don’t worry about how you respond to these attacks, firstly you are right to feel angry but it is not always wise to SHOW that anger.

Here’s one instance of something similar to what you have experienced yourself…My grandfather is an athiest, (my father a convert to Catholicism) at my father’s funeral he was most rude to my faith, spoke ill and badly of it to me and to my brother, my brother is a lapsed Catholic but still believes in Jesus and God…anyhow, there I was grief filled with the loss of my father on the day of his requiem and burial and my grandfather was awful to me about my faith. I sat at the wake and listened to these comments and I sat silent like you.

Everyone was having a drink of beer or something and some good food to eat, there was my grandad in the middle of the celebration of my father’s life hating his son’s and my faith, I listened stoney faced, sad in heart and said nothing…you know what happened, someone walked past and spilled a pint of beer over him by pure accident…I smiled though he didn’t see it and walk away!!! It was almost meant to happen!!! We do not always have to say something for the message to get across, silence when something is said against faithcan sometimes speak …VOLUMES…I often wonder why our Lord was so silent during His trials…I can only think because He needed no defence…

Last time I saw my grandfather he was wearing a crucifix on his lapel of his suit, i asked him, why are you wearing that…he was embarrassed , but said because he believed…I suppose he was embarrased because of how he had spoken to me, I said no more to him on it and asked him if he’d like a coffee. I am great friends with my grandfather xxx

Go back to work and carry on as you did before, only happier!!

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
 
You are in my prayers. Please remember the Beautitudes (they are fresh in my mind from All Saints Day Mass last night) and Footprints…God is carrying you through your trials!!
 
40.png
coralewis:
You are in my prayers. Please remember the Beautitudes (they are fresh in my mind from All Saints Day Mass last night) and Footprints…God is carrying you through your trials!!
Click to expand...
Thank you!
I also went to All Saints Mass ,and the passage touched me in a special way.
 
40.png
Teresa9:
cont…

Dear friend

You cannot persuade somone to your faith, you cannot make them love Jesus, that is a gift from God and it is up to them to embrace that. Therefore don’t worry about how you respond to these attacks, firstly you are right to feel angry but it is not always wise to SHOW that anger.

Here’s one instance of something similar to what you have experienced yourself…My grandfather is an athiest, (my father a convert to Catholicism) at my father’s funeral he was most rude to my faith, spoke ill and badly of it to me and to my brother, my brother is a lapsed Catholic but still believes in Jesus and God…anyhow, there I was grief filled with the loss of my father on the day of his requiem and burial and my grandfather was awful to me about my faith. I sat at the wake and listened to these comments and I sat silent like you.

Everyone was having a drink of beer or something and some good food to eat, there was my grandad in the middle of the celebration of my father’s life hating his son’s and my faith, I listened stoney faced, sad in heart and said nothing…you know what happened, someone walked past and spilled a pint of beer over him by pure accident…I smiled though he didn’t see it and walk away!!! It was almost meant to happen!!! We do not always have to say something for the message to get across, silence when something is said against faithcan sometimes speak …VOLUMES…I often wonder why our Lord was so silent during His trials…I can only think because He needed no defence…

Last time I saw my grandfather he was wearing a crucifix on his lapel of his suit, i asked him, why are you wearing that…he was embarrassed , but said because he believed…I suppose he was embarrased because of how he had spoken to me, I said no more to him on it and asked him if he’d like a coffee. I am great friends with my grandfather xxx

Go back to work and carry on as you did before, only happier!!

God Bless you and much love and peace to you

Teresa
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for your encouraging story-it speaks volumes!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top